


Beat Matching

by noransn



Category: Golden Child (Korea Band)
Genre: (kind of) DJ AU, Alternate Universe - College/University, BoJun, DJ!Jangjun, Established Relationship between the other characters, I haven’t written a fanfic in so goddamn long I completely forgot how to Character and Pacing, INFINITE and Lovelyz are here, Jangjun had a toxic relationship in the past, M/M, Minor Angst, Open Ending, Some profanity, explicit content if you squint, i warned u, implied consumption of alcohol and drugs, joochan is the best wingman, minor ships, nerd!Bomin, roommates bomin and joo, the concept of love at first sight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2019-05-04 10:34:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14591148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noransn/pseuds/noransn
Summary: Alternatively; A List of Choi Bomin’s First TimesBomin never wanted to do this. Jangjun just came for the music. Everything’s a mess and all Bomin wants is to find out how the hell things turned out the way they did. (Or; The College BoJun au no one asked for)





	1. Studies and Chill (because parties are for losers)

**Author's Note:**

> (dedicated to ate lei, my two ellas, nikki, rachelle, ate annie for her amazing fics and all my goldenness hoes)
> 
> First fic on here and of course it's BoJun lol. It's not the best but I tried hhh
> 
> Notes  
> \- They might be a lil OOC in this.  
> \- Bomin hardly speaks in the later part of the first chapter and it’s JJ’s fault  
> \- JJ is a flirt but knows his limits  
> \- Their ages are confusing here but basically Jooch and Bomin are the only ones of the same age so he doesn’t call him hyung  
> \- Swearing  
> \- Some drama between jj and ***someone else***
> 
> I'm on twt @jangtrashed. Drop a dm and let's be friends <33

 

Bomin considers himself a pretty good kid.

 

 

All his life, he’d done nothing but act the way his parents raised him to be. He maintained good grades in school, hung out with the right crowd, did his chores on time, didn’t curse (this changed overtime, but he didn’t sweat the small stuff) and always, _always_ came home before 8 pm. He made sure to prioritize his studies over most things, as it was what made his parents happy, it was what made them _proud_. Unlike most kids at school, he doesn’t go to the arcade after classes, nor does he sit down and watch TV and laze around. Instead, the moment he gets back home, he sits himself down and opens a book to review for new lessons. Only after this does he even consider having fun and spending some time talking to his friends over the internet.

 

 

As a result, Bomin became known as that one student who aces every exam and never loses his place in the honors list. He was no nerd, heck no. He kept up with his social life the best he could while being a part of his school's advanced classes, so he likes to think that he’s an overall great person, someone people would wanna hang out with not just because he willingly lets his friends copy his homework, but because he’s just, you know, him.

 

 

In short, Bomin is what one might consider a golden child. He’s smart, industrious, knows his etiquette, and is also quite the looker. His friends never fail to remind him that he's 'perfect' every single passing day, and, well, Bomin feels pretty good about that.

 

 

Perhaps it was all of this that prompted Bomin to aim high in life. It became his goal to reach great heights, to conquer great challenges, so he won't disappoint the just as great expectations that people had for him. For one, he aimed to graduate as class valedictorian and study in one of the best universities in Seoul, just like the good student he knows he is. For that to happen, Bomin spent his last remaining months in high school waist-deep in books and paperwork. His nights of free time extended into hours of studying advanced calculus and memorizing all the names and dates in Korean history. It was definitely draining (Bomin swears his brain tried to seep out of his skull at some point) but it was worth the sacrifice. The boy got what he wanted. He graduated with the highest possible honor and passed his entrance exams with flying colors. His parents never smiled brighter than they did at that moment.

 

 

And so Bomin soon found himself starting fresh in an unfamiliar campus surrounded by foreign faces. He was anxious at first. He knew he had to adjust a lot if he was ever planning on living a good College life, but overtime that proved to be less of a challenge than he initially thought it would be. The lessons and activities were nowhere near easy of course, but everything else came together pretty smoothly. Bomin found himself a new group of both freshmen and senior friends in campus, a small little niche that he found comfort in, and before he knew it, he was all settled in and ready to face whatever surprises college had in store for him.

 

 

Up until that point, Bomin continued living a carefully formulated life. He was happy, his parents were happy, everything was perfect. But of course, as was the natural flow of the universe, Bomin soon learned that life was, in fact, a major bitch and an even bigger pain in the ass, and that not everything will always go the way one may plan it to.

 

 

* * *

 

 

2:00 AM.

 

 

Bomin groaned when he caught sight of the blinking red digits. His fingers halted in their typing, hovering over clearly overused keys. He squinted at the numbers on the digital clock, almost as if willing time to rewind through sheer willpower. When the last zero turned into a one instead of doing what Bomin wanted it to, the boy seethed at the disrespect that his goddamn clock had just shown. He wanted it to _rewind_ , goddammit.

 

 

Sighing, Bomin slumped himself against the back of the swivel chair he sat on. A hand that was previously typing furiously on his laptop came up to try and rub the sleep away from the boy's eyes, a small yawn accompanying the gesture. The eye he wasn't rubbing opened to peak at the bright screen in front of him, scanning over the ocean of words. He hasn't met the word limit yet, and he's already surpassed the time he set for this hell of an essay.

 

 

Another groan escaped Bomin's lips at the realization that he just successfully broke his timetable, again. It's been happening more and more often lately, and it was making him frustrated. Bomin hates doing things past the amount of time he set for them. It makes him feel incompetent and disorganized. Slowly, he stood up from his chair and closed the lid of his laptop. He needed to sleep. No matter how important that essay was, he can’t sacrifice his precious sleep for it.

 

 

Bomin picked up the device and shoved it into the bag designated for his morning classes. He might as well just continue it before his first lecture tomorrow. He didn't like the thought of it, but he'll have to extend the time set for this one shitty essay.

 

 

With a heavy hand, Bomin grabbed the planner hanging on the wall right next to his desk. A lot of numbers were crossed over and replaced with new hours, proof that he really was losing track of his timetables. He frowned and took a red marker from his pencil case, crossing out yet another set time and replacing it with '6:30-8:00 AM'. The mere sight of it made Bomin feel even more drained, as if the universe just refuses to let him spin in the orbit he was comfortable with anymore.

 

 

For a while, he just stood there, contemplating the existence of time and how College was probably just a social construct (and how he shouldn’t be thinking about things like this in the first place. A good student doesn’t question higher education) when he noticed movement from the corner of his eye. Bomin turned his head to face the bed on the opposite end of the room, watching as his roommate stirred in his sleep, making small sleepy noises before cracking his eyes open to stare back at the boy. He squinted at the light coming from Bomin’s desk lamp.

 

 

“You’re still awake?” The other groggily pushed himself up on an arm, looking up at Bomin with barely opened eyes. The boy nodded.

 

 

“Yeah, I was working on an essay,” he gave the other a sheepish smile, “I’ll go to sleep now, sorry if I woke you up or anything.” Bomin reached forward to turn off the lamp, getting rid of the only current source of light and casting the room in darkness. From here, his roommate’s bleached blonde hair just stood out even more. Bomin once asked him where he got the courage to dye his hair like that. All he got in response was a look of disbelief and an, “Are you serious? Are you seriously asking me that right now?” Bomin dropped the issue then, but he really was genuinely curious.

 

 

His roommate flopped himself back down on his bed, but not before stretching his entire body and making more small sleepy noises. Bomin cleared his desk and got ready for bed, lifting up the covers so he can snuggle in under them. His head fell back and met the comfort of his pillow, but his eyes stayed open.

 

 

“You know,” his roommate started, voice still laced with sleep “you’ll just get more stressed if you keep this up.” Bomin huffed at that, pulling the covers closer to his chest. “I’m pretty sure we’ll only get less and less sleep in the future anyway, so why not start now?”

 

 

“You know that’s not what I mean.”

 

 

Bomin frowned, turning his head ever so slightly towards his roommate’s direction. He could hear the other sigh.

 

 

“Bomin, you know I love you man, and it fucking sucks watching you mentally throw yourself down because of those stupid timetable things that you do. You don’t have to force yourself to limit your work time.” The other sounded exasperated—as exasperated as one might sound at 2 AM, anyway. _Oh, so he saw my planner._ Bomin kept quiet, staring at the outline of his roommate’s resting figure.

 

 

To be honest, Bomin really liked his roommate.

 

 

Hong Joochan was like him in a lot of ways. While Bomin was taking up General Engineering, the other was an Architecture student, meaning they both to deal with the technical and artistic side of creating, planning buildings and structures. Joochan was as much as a hard worker as Bomin was. They both preferred finishing their work first before doing anything else, always meeting deadlines with enough time to rest. Basically, Joochan was raised in an environment similar to the one Bomin grew up in, so they pretty much understood each other better than everyone else in their newly formed circle of friends. They work well together, and the amazing chemistry between them sparked an easy friendship. Bomin knew how Joochan functioned, and Joochan kept Bomin in check. It almost feels like they’ve known each other their entire lives.

 

 

The only difference between them was that Joochan was more easy-going than him. There were times when Joochan showed that he wasn’t all about books and numbers. The guy definitely knew how to have fun, and unlike Bomin, he knew his limits. Joochan studied till late into the night, sure, but he never overexerts himself, which probably explains why he acts more collected than Bomin ever will in life. If Bomin was a wall, then Joochan was a boat riding the tides, steady against strong currents.

 

 

This distinction in their behavior made Bomin respect the other guy when he realized it. Maybe that’s why he couldn’t really find it in himself to reject his advices and deny whatever logic the other had. Even at this moment, as he laid down, staring at Joochan’s bed, he couldn’t say anything against his words.

 

 

After a moment of silence, Joochan let out another sigh. “Just take it easy, Bomin, seriously. Things finish in their own time. Stop pressuring yourself, it isn’t healthy.” He spoke steadily despite sounding sleepy still. Bomin caught the other shooting a glance at him, the vague outline of a frown decorating his features. “Seriously.”

 

 

Bomin took a breath, moving his eyes from his roommate to the low ceiling of their room. He didn’t reply, and Joochan didn’t say anything else. Soon he found himself closing his eyes with the thought of his unfinished essay knocking at the back of his mind.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“You look like a real mess.” Jaehyun spoke through the bread pressed between his teeth. Bomin just waved a dismissive hand at him. He was too busy trying to urge the library printer to print faster to pay attention to his friend.

 

 

Bomin’s plan to wake up early to finish that essay went to complete waste when he slept through his alarm—today, of all days—and woke up a mere half hour before classes started. Joochan didn’t even bother waking him up (that traitor) so Bomin was left in a panic when he realized that he only had less than 30 minutes to haul ass to the library and write the last part of his output. He didn’t have the time to even worry about what clothes to wear or if he wore his belt right. All he knew was that if he didn’t move _now,_ he’ll ruin his streak of never missing his deadlines and go home for the holidays only to deal with the disappointed faces his parents will probably give him.

 

So he burst through the halls of the dorms, taking two steps at a time when he ran down the stairs, and sped through crowds of students to get to the library all the way at the other end of campus. He sat himself down in an empty table when he got there and typed faster than he ever did in his life. His fellow engineering buddy, Jaehyun, arrived while he was in the middle of setting his laptop keys on fire with how fast he was pressing on them, leisurely taking a seat next to Bomin while munching on a tasty-looking piece of toast.

 

20 minutes later, Bomin stood in front of one of the many printers lined on a table in one barely secluded area of the library, impatiently tapping his foot on the hardwood floor as he watched the printer spit out page upon page of words he doesn’t even remember typing. Jaehyun was still enjoying his bread beside him, seemingly without a care in the world. Bomin turned away from the printer to look at his friend with eyes so tired it could probably rival Joochan’s. Jaehyun blinked at him, a smirk slowly pulling at the corners of his mouth.

 

 

“Let me guess. You woke up late and had to rush your essay, which, by the way, is very un-Bomin like.” Jaehyun teased, tearing a portion of his bread to pop it into his mouth. Bomin just rolled his eyes at him, reaching up to run a hand through his messy hair.

 

 

“I’m never cramming anything ever again.” He mumbled, dragging his hand down his face. Beside him, Jaehyun snorted. “I didn’t even know that you’re actually physically capable of cramming.”

 

 

“I didn’t have a choice, okay?” He scowled, “everything’s piling up like crazy, and I can hardly keep up anymore.” Bomin grunted, staring back down as the last few pages of his essay started coming out one by one. “What about you?” he asked without taking his eyes off of the printer, “you seem pretty… chill.”

 

 

Jaehyun just laughed at that, earning a small look of confusion from Bomin. “I kind of knew this would happen, so I prepared beforehand. Now I don’t have anything to worry about.” He popped the last piece of the bread into his mouth. Bomin’s look of confusion intensified. “What do you mean?”

 

 

“Connections, man,” Jaehyun hitched his backpack up higher, pulling on the straps now that his hands were free, “Jibeom’s older brother is a senior Engineering student, remember?”

 

 

Bomin’s confusion lingered just a little bit longer. When realization finally dawned on him, he suddenly had the uncontrollable urge to throw himself out of the nearest window. “Sungyoon-hyung?”

 

 

“Yep,” Jaehyun confirmed, popping the ‘p.’ Bomin groaned into his palms. “Ugh, I’m stupid, I can’t believe I let that slip from my mind. I could’ve saved so much time,” he mock-sobbed, face still hidden behind his hands. Jaehyun merely laughed at the clear distress his friend was experiencing.

 

“Guess I should’ve checked on you sooner. At least you’re done now, though.” The other gestured towards the printer with his chin. Bomin looked through the gap between his fingers at the pile of papers sitting there, mocking him. Sighing, the boy just reached down to get the papers. He moved to unplug his USB when yet another moment of realization fell on him. He tucked the USB into his back pocket before facing Jaehyun.

 

 

“What time is it?”

 

 

“Hm? Oh,” Jaehyun pulled back his sleeve to check, “8:29, why?”

 

 

For the second time that morning, Bomin found himself running faster than what was physically possible for a boy his age.

 

 

* * *

 

 

**campus hoes aka resident jobless losers  
location: not sydney**

 

**banned from the kitchen**

If Done had a name, it would be Choi Bomin.  
s _ent 4:03 PM_

 

Bomin pocketed his phone after sending the (cleverly funny) text to their GC. His last lecture for the day just ended, and thank God his Friday schedule wasn’t as hectic as the rest of his week. Bomin was still feeling ridiculously drained, presumably from what happened earlier that morning, so he decided to take the rest of the evening off to nap now that he had less things to worry about. Or maybe he’ll just plan for the projects he still had to do, so he can save time in the future, at least.

 

The boy was just about to step out of the Engineering building when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Bomin dug the device out and opened his messages.

 

 **Picasso**  
clever. where are you.  
_read 4:04 PM_

 

Bomin hitched up his bag and typed a quick reply.

 

**banned from the kitchen**

On the way to the dorms, why?  
s _ent 4:04 PM_

He waited for Joochan or any of his other friends to reply, but when none came, he put his phone back in the pocket of his jeans and continued on his way back to the dorms. Fridays in the university were usually a lot calmer than the earlier days of the week. It was when most of the students had their free time. Maybe it was the university’s way of making up for the mental strain that they put their students through. Either way, Bomin was at least thankful for little breaks like this. He may love studying, but he can never pass up a chance to rest, especially now that everything just underwent a major stress upgrade compared to when he was still in high school.

 

He took in the warm serenity of the schoolyard and the few students walking around, minding their own business. He spent a few moments just appreciating the calm before making his way to the residential areas.

 

When Bomin reached his floor, he reached into his bag to look for the keys to their room. He walked with his head half buried inside his bag, robbing the boy of the chance to prepare himself for the figure that came barreling towards him. When Bomin pulled the keys out of his bag, he raised his head just in time to see Joochan right in front of him before the impact of their collision made him stumble on his feet. Bomin fell a few steps back, but Joochan pulled him back forward with a strong grip on the boy’s arms. Blinking, Bomin looked at his roommate with a perplexed look decorating his features. “Joo?”

 

“Great, you’re here. We gotta go to the—what are you wearing?” Joochan’s eyebrows furrowed when he noticed Bomin’s appearance. For the first time that day, Bomin looked down at himself to evaluate his outfit. He stared at the half-tucked button up and khaki slacks that he threw on in a rush this morning before looking back at Joochan, who was still looking at Bomin’s clothes like it was the biggest mistake the world ever made. “It looks fine?”

 

At his words, Joochan shot Bomin a look of disbelief, the same look he gave him when Bomin asked the other where he got the courage to dye his hair from. “It looks fine? Jesus, Bomin, what happened to your fashion sense?” Joochan gripped his friend’s shoulders and turned him around, pushing Bomin towards their unit. Once inside, Joochan dragged him to the room they shared without a second to spare. Deeply confused, Bomin just let himself be dragged along, still ignorant of what Joochan was trying to do.

 

“Here, now go change.” Joochan shoved a bunch of garments into Bomin’s arms after rummaging through his side of the closet. Before the younger can even open his mouth to ask what the clothes were for, Joochan was already closing the door, shouting an “And hurry!” and leaving Bomin alone in the room. He looked down at the clothes in his arms and frowned. Was he supposed to follow Joochan’s orders? He didn’t even know what was going on. Then again, Joochan would probably get mad at him if he doesn’t move his ass fast, so Bomin just slumped his shoulders in defeat and started undressing.

 

 

* * *

 

 

When Bomin came out of the room wearing the hoodie and black jeans that Joochan picked for him, he was met by the sight of two other people in the threshold of their unit aside from his roommate. Bomin smiled in recognition when he realized who their guests were.

 

“Sungyoon-hyung, Daeyeol-hyung.” He greeted. All three of them paused their conversation to face Bomin. The two elder men returned his smile when their eyes met.

 

“Bomin!” Sungyoon moved away from Daeyeol’s side to give the younger a hug. “It’s been a while. Looks like you’re ready to go.” He said after giving the boy a once-over. Bomin just looked at his hyung with a questioning glint in his eyes. “Uhm, I don’t—“

 

“Yep! Great, we can go now.” Joochan cut in before Bomin can finish his sentence. He was already out the door, waiting for the rest of his friends to exit so he can lock up. Sungyoon turned back to Bomin, giving him one of his signature bunny smiles before urging the boy out the door and into the hallway. Joochan locked the door behind them and shoved his key holder inside his bag. He looked at the rest of the group with a bright expression. “Let’s go?”

 

Sungyoon and Daeyeol nodded, but Bomin just furrowed his eyebrows, still clueless about the whole ordeal. Before he can ask any questions, he was once again dutifully ignored. The other three started walking ahead, leaving Bomin without the chance to clear things up. He didn’t have a choice but to follow them.

 

Later, when they were all settled inside Daeyeol’s car (actually, it was his brother’s. Bomin knew from experience not to question how he got the permission to use it, though), the boy sat down in the back with Joochan with traces of uneasiness creating creases on his face. They were driving away from the campus, and Bomin still had no idea what was happening.

 

“Youngtaek better not try to drug us this time.” Daeyeol cut in after Sungyoon and Joochan finished their meaningful conversation about the possibility of there being lasagna at wherever it was they were driving to. Sungyoon snorted at that. “Just don’t accept anything from him and you’ll be fine.”

 

Daeyeol frowned, seemingly unconvinced. “He’s just gonna try and lace our drinks with his cheap shit again.” He worked the wheel, turning the car towards an unfamiliar road. Bomin’s curiosity only grew when he peaked out of the car windows and failed to recognize anything around them.

 

“Oh, don’t worry too much,” Sungyoon reached out to knock his knuckles against his boyfriend’s arm, “Seungmin will be there. I don’t think Youngtaek would try anything funny with him around, unless he wants to get his cuddle rights removed.”

 

Beside Bomin, Joochan snorted. “Youngtaek-hyung is so whipped for Seungmin-hyung, it’s hilarious.”

 

Sungyoon laughed at Joochan’s words, but Daeyeol merely smirked. “Joochan is so whipped for Donghyun, it’s even more hilarious.”

 

Joochan gawked, and Sungyoon only laughed harder. Soon, the car was filled with laughter and playful bantering. Daeyeol kept teasing Joochan, Joochan kept trying to deny the stuff that Daeyeol spat out about his love life, and Sungyoon was curled up in the shotgun seat laughing his lungs out. Only Bomin sat quietly in his corner of the car, growing more and more uneasy the longer they stayed inside the vehicle.

 

When things calmed down a bit, Bomin looked up at the front mirror, only to catch Sungyoon’s gaze. The older still had the remnants of a grin on his face when he turned around to face Bomin. “‘Min, what’s up?”

 

Bomin’s lips curled into a frown. He could see Joochan looking at him through his peripheral. He sighed and met Sungyoon’s gaze.

 

“Hyung, where are we going?” He asked. The question made Sungyoon tilt his head, the final hints of laughter finally fading from his features. “Joochan hasn’t told you yet?”

 

“Joo didn’t tell me anything. He just dragged me out here.” Bomin looked at his friend with a mildly incredulous expression. Bomin could see the defensive statement forming in Joochan’s mind from a mile away, but Sungyoon inserted himself before the other can say anything.

 

“What do you mean? Joochan told us you agreed already.”

 

At this, Bomin’s eyes widened. He gaped at his roommate in disbelief. “I never agreed to anything.”

 

Joochan met Bomin’s gaze then, the defence he had prepared in his mind slowly spilling from parted lips. “You weren’t gonna agree to it anyway! I had to find another way.”

 

“Agree to what, Joo?” Bomin’s eyebrows knitted themselves together. He watched as Joochan pursed his lips into a thin line, as if he didn’t want to be the one to say it. Bomin’s frown only deepened at this. From up front, the boy heard Daeyeol heave a sigh. “We’re going to Woohyun-hyung’s place. He and Sunggyu-hyung are throwing their annual campus-exclusive party. It’s not a big deal, Bomin, it’s just a small celebration—“

 

“What—hyung, no. Take me back, please.” Bomin said with the firmest voice he can manage. They had him at party. Bomin was no introvert, and he was okay with social gatherings, but he was never the biggest fan of parties, especially ones as big as Woohyun and Sunggyu’s. He’d much rather spend his evening resting on his bed or at least getting ready to finish the rest of his smaller projects instead of wasting time and energy with people he barely even knew. Joochan was right. There’s no way he would’ve agreed to this.

 

“See, I told you.” Joochan clicked his tongue as he leaned back against his seat, arms now crossed over his chest. Bomin eyed Sungyoon as the older stole a glance at his boyfriend, probably sending him telepathic messages about how Bomin was being a stubborn little shit again.

 

“Hyung.” Bomin repeated, trying to meet Daeyeol’s eyes through the mirror. The eldest kept his gaze on the road. Beside him, Sungyoon cleared his throat and turned to face his dongsaeng.

 

“Bomin, why don’t you just give it a shot? It’ll be fun. Woohyun-hyung and Sunggyu-hyung throw the best parties. I can confirm.” Sungyoon tried, a small smile coming up to cover the mild hesitation in his face. Bomin shook his head in negative affirmation. “No, hyung. Take me back to the dorms, please.”

 

Joochan scoffed at this, sounding as exasperated as he did earlier when he was telling Bomin off for pressuring himself too much. “To what, Bomin? So you can stress yourself out again by worrying about whatever far-off deadlines you have? Man, I get how you feel, but you gotta stop doing this to yourself. You gotta get your head off those books and start living life, you know.”

 

This time, it was Bomin’s turn to look disbelievingly at Joochan. Was he seriously asking him to choose partying over potentially getting some work done? Because that did not sound at all like the Joochan he knew. Well, sure, Joochan liked this stuff, but for him to actually urge Bomin to set aside his studies, even for a brief moment…

 

“Joo, are you seriously telling me that right now?”

 

Joochan merely nodded. “I like studying as much as you do. It’s one of my comfort zones, but even that can get suffocating, Bomin.” He sighed and reached forward to grab the other’s wrist. “I’m doing this for your sake. You gotta learn how to take breaks, man.”

 

Bomin still wasn’t convinced, and he was sure Joochan can see that in his face. “But—But I gotta—“

 

“Bomin.” It was Daeyeol who spoke this time, drawing everyone’s attention to him. “Joochan is right. If you keep yourself caged in your usual routine of being so close to your textbooks that you’re practically dating them, stress will eventually get the best of you. Trust me, we learned that the hard way. Take it from a senior.” Daeyeol turned a corner, entering a new neighborhood. Bomin could see a big gate and a guard station ahead. When they neared it, Daeyeol rolled down the window on his side to talk to the guard who approached. Sungyoon took this chance to look back at the two boys.

 

“’Min, just take this chance to be carefree for once, okay? It’s not bad to have fun every now and then.” He smiled, but Bomin’s frown still hasn’t left his face. “But hyung, I really need to—“

 

“Dude I swear to God,” Joochan moved his hands to squeeze Bomin’s cheeks, catching the other off guard. “Just stop thinking about school for like 3 seconds and actually dedicate some time for yourself.” Bomin opened his mouth to speak, but Joochan just gave him one of those “If you argue, this conversation will never end” looks, so Bomin just pressed his lips together and stayed quiet. Joochan, seemingly satisfied, sat himself back properly and went back to conversing with Sungyoon about the party. Bomin opted to staring out of the window in an attempt to cease the uneasiness still lingering in his chest.

 

They passed by some pretty lavish houses that were separated by vast areas of flat land and trees. The area had a big contrast to the Seoul cityscape, as it felt more rural with all the foliage decorating the entire place. Bomin could easily tell that this was a rich neighborhood, which means that his hyungs were a lot more well off than he ever took them to be. Granted, he never really bothered asking about their financial background, but now he was about to see it for himself.

 

Daeyeol drove them towards the farther end of the village. Even from a distance, Bomin can already see lights creating streaks in the slowly darkening evening sky. The closer they got, the more anxious the boy felt. Finally, the car stopped in front of a two-storey house. The front yard already hosted a couple other vehicles and a few people loitering about. Bomin couldn’t hear any music, which, according to all those horrible American teen movies he’s watched out of boredom, was a staple in parties, so he assumed the actual event hasn’t started yet. When Daeyeol found a good area to park the car, they all got out. Bomin left last, still feeling a little hesitant about being here, but soon Joochan was grabbing his wrist and dragging him towards the house.

 

“No time to be sluggish dude.” He mock-scolded. Bomin just sighed and let himself be dragged along yet again. The four of them made their way around the house to the back yard, where more people were hanging around. Bomin wowed at how spacious the area was. There were tables set everywhere, and a space was left in the middle, presumably for dancing. The entire yard was lit up by fairy lights hanging in a criss-cross fashion above them. Bomin could even see a pool at the other end of the yard, making him seriously question just how rich his hyungs were.

 

As he followed his companions, he took more of the place in. What really caught his attention, though, was an elevated stage just beside the pool with what seemed to be DJ equipment on it. There were speakers on both side of the stage and a table-thing in between. There were a few guys manning the equipment, but before he can ask about it, he walked right into someone’s back.

 

Bomin stepped back. Joochan looked back at him and merely pulled the boy so they stood next to each other.

 

In front of them, Daeyeol and Sungyoon were talking to someone Bomin doesn’t recognize. He leaned a bit to the side to look at the guy properly.

 

“You guys are early. The party starts in like half an hour.” The male said as he hitched up a box of what seemed to be more party supplies. He was considerably shorter than his hyungs and had pretty defined features. Bomin blinked down at him.

 

“We could help you guys set things up?” Sungyoon offered. The guy just shook his head and put a hand up. “Nah, we got this. How about you boys just go look for Woohyun and Sunggyu-hyung? I still need to get a few things from them.”

 

Sungyoon nodded at that. He gestured for the others to follow him but before they can move, Daeyeol inched closer to the guy. “Dongwoo-hyung, is my brother here yet?”

 

The guy, Dongwoo, apparently, just laughed at him. “Oh yeah, they were the first ones to get here.”

 

Daeyeol frowned. “They?”

 

“Yep, him and Myungsoo. They disappeared though, probably making out somewhere in the house.”

 

At Dongwoo’s words, Daeyeol’s face shifted through several phases of confusion, surprise, disbelief, and pure unadulterated disgust. He turned to Sungyoon with a look that speaks millions of the horror he was probably internalizing at the moment. “I think I might throw up.” The other placed a hand on Daeyeol’s shoulder in sympathy.

 

The four of them walked towards the stairs to the back entrance of the house after Daeyeol recovered from his brief traumatic experience. Sungyoon pulled the door open and led the others in, but Bomin stopped at the threshold when the guy’s words from earlier dawned on him. Joochan paused in his steps when he realized that the boy was no longer beside him.

 

“I uhm, I think I’ll just stay outside.” He said with a small unsure look on his face. “I might see Sunggyu-hyung and Woohyun-hyung out here.”

 

Joochan raised an eyebrow at him, but Sungyoon simply nodded and gave him a thumbs up. “Wait for us out here then.”

 

Bomin gave his affirmation before climbing back down the steps. Truth is, if what Dongwoo said earlier about Daeyeol’s brother and his boyfriend making out somewhere in the house was true, then Bomin definitely didn’t want to see that, so it was probably safer to stay in the yard instead. At least he wouldn’t risk having the image of _that_ burned into his mind forever.

 

He made his way over to the pool, which was closer to this side of the yard, and sat on one of the deck chairs that lined the tiled edges. Bomin took that time to look around again. More people were starting to come in. Bomin recognized a few of them as seniors, fellow Engineering students and batch mates. He even managed to spot Jaehyun and Jibeom walk in, hand in hand and looking like the whipped-for-each-other couple that they are. Bomin considered waving them over, but the two found another group to mingle with before he can. Bomin just shrugged his shoulders and leaned back against the deck chair.

 

He still can’t believe he resigned himself to this. The last time Bomin attended a party was years ago, one for that girl from elementary. It was supposed to be a surprise birthday party, and to be honest, it was ridiculously boring for Bomin. All of his friends did their own stuff, so he was left alone eating cake in one corner and watching his friends have fun without him. His parents didn’t even let him stay too long because he was literally just wasting time instead of using it for something like, oh, studying, maybe? It was a pretty shitty memory to have, and he honest to God tries not to think about it anymore, but at moments like this, it just couldn’t be helped.

 

Bomin sighed to himself. He really shouldn’t be here. He should be back at the dorms, doing preparations for his projects or sleeping or literally doing anything useful. Being here is just the same as that time in elementary. He’s literally just wasting his time when he could be using it for—

 

“Excuse me, is this seat taken?”

 

Startled, Bomin jerked back and snapped his head to look up at the source of the sudden voice, only to come face to face with his reflection on the clear black surface of a pair of shades. The boy paused and simply watched as the shades were pushed up to reveal striking brown eyes that stared right back at Bomin. At that moment, he could feel himself freeze, just looking at the stranger’s eyes (like some sort of creep, probably) and feeling little sparks running through his veins. Bomin vaguely felt like being momentarily placed in a drama with how his neck and ears were slowly starting to heat up under the intensity of the man’s gaze. After a while, the stranger smirked and sat himself down on the chair next to the one Bomin sat on.

 

“I’ll take that as a no.” The guy huffed out a quick laugh, causing Bomin’s chest to tighten at how weirdly blissful that just sounded in his ears. They’ve yet to break eye contact, and the stranger’s eyes were starting to form crescents.

 

“Like what you see?” He asked without the slightest hint of shame in his words. Bomin blinked several times, finally realizing that he just successfully had a staring contest with a guy he didn’t even know and was _feeling things_ while he was at it. He pursed his lips (was he gaping? Oh my god, was he gaping?) and drew his eyes away from the guy, embarrassment slowly sinking in.

 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to uhm… stare.” He apologized, moving his fist towards his lips and coughing into it. The stranger just laughed again, and this time Bomin could clearly feel his heart beat just a little bit faster at the sound.

 

Bomin watched through the corner of his eyes as the stranger leaned a little to the side to try and catch his gaze once more. “That’s okay, I’m used to it.” He could still hear the smirk in the guy’s voice. Bomin quickly looked away again.

 

“Uhm, and no.” He mumbled. The stranger raised an eyebrow.

 

“No, what?”

 

“That seat isn’t taken.” He gestured at the deck chair that the other now occupied. It was silent for a while, then the guy was laughing, _again._ Bomin had to press a hand to his chest this time in an attempt to shut his heart up. “Right, yes, of course.” The stranger just gave Bomin a curt nod, leaving a teasing smile the only remnant of his laughter. When Bomin was sure that the other wasn’t trying to get all up in his face anymore, he let himself look back at his new companion.

 

The guy was now laying down on the deck chair, legs crossed over and arms serving as his pillow. His sunglasses rested atop a messy nest of dark reddish-brown hair that was slightly pulled back to reveal his forehead. Bomin noticed that the guy’s smirk never left his face, and that yes, he was still looking at him with a barely noticeable glint in his brown hues. Now that Bomin finally got a real good look at the stranger’s face, there was no way he could deny the heat that was slowly rising up to his face.

 

The stranger raised his chin the slightest bit before he spoke once again, his voice laced with an odd tone that Bomin was quite foreign to. “You’re pretty cute,” the other started, causing Bomin to raise both eyebrows at him in shock of his words, “such a fine thing should have a name. Mind telling me?” The smirk on the guy’s face merely lengthened when Bomin parted his lips to gape at him again. The words were stuck in his throat and he couldn’t bring himself to force them out, couldn’t bring himself to say that there was no way he was giving his name to a stranger who doesn’t introduce himself first.

 

When the man’s question was met with silence, he just huffed out a laugh. “Shy type, aren’t you?” He pushed himself up so he was on eye level with Bomin once more. His next words came as a whisper, but Bomin still caught it.

 

“How adorable.”

 

If Bomin’s face wasn’t red before then it definitely was now. He snapped his mouth shut and just wanted to curl in on himself from the sheer embarrassment that he was feeling at that moment. That, or the stranger’s words just did a really great job at pressing all his buttons. Either way, Bomin’s mind was starting to swirl with the amount of emotions that were starting to invade his chest cavity. Was the stranger… was he flirting with him? Is this what they call flirting? Bomin’s single-since-birth ass couldn’t fucking relate.

 

In all his years of being one of the most attractive guys in his classes, all Bomin got in the past were cheesy love letters and home-baked treats in his locker and flimsy confessions from girls (and guys, Bomin doesn’t judge) that were probably a lot more awkward than him. He’s never had someone just straight up flirt with him before, and Bomin had to admit that he was this close to having a real mental breakdown because he had _no idea what to fucking do this (really attractive) stranger just came up sat next to him and was currently making his heart do somersaults in his chest oh god save him._

The man, seemingly having had noticed his inner turmoil, let out yet another of his show-stopping laughs, drawing Bomin’s attention to him. “Okay babe, calm down. It looks like you’re taking a trip to stressville over there.”

 

Bomin didn’t reply (of course he didn’t) and instead just stared at the guy with a blank look on his face. _Did he just call me babe?_

The stranger’s toothy smile came full force. “Not quite the talker, too. That’s okay,” this time, Bomin actually felt his entire body jerk back because the stranger just moved his legs to the side of the deck chair and inched closer to Bomin until the space left between them decreased enough to make the boy’s breath hitch, “I prefer silent partners in bed, anyway.”

 

Bomin’s heart rate just sped through the roof when the other’s words sunk in. He shot the guy a startled look, making the other burst out in laughter at the clear shock lacing Bomin’s features. “Oh my god, oh my god you’re adorable.” He wheezed out, an arm clutching his stomach at the puffs of laughter that still slipped past his lips. Bomin didn’t have the time to appreciate how genuinely happy he looked. He was too busy trying to return to reality after hearing what the guy just said.

 

“I was joking, okay? I’m not about that life.” The other explained after he managed to calm down. “I like to get to know people until I let them into my room—er, most of the time.” He shrugged, a passive expression appearing briefly on his face until it was quickly replaced by a darker, more suggestive one. “Which is why I’d like to get to know you,” he grinned, now resting his elbows on his knees and effectively moving closer to Bomin. The boy managed to stay still this time, but his chest still refused to calm down, “Mister…?” he dragged on. Bomin kept his mouth sealed. He was drowning in emotions at that moment, but he still wasn’t quite out of it enough to reveal his name to a stranger, no matter how appealing said stranger may be. The other’s lips formed into a small pout when he realized that Bomin really wasn’t talking.

 

“Really not telling me your name then.” He sighed, sounding a little resigned. For a second, Bomin almost felt guilty, until the guy was smiling at him again and he quickly went back to trying to calm his damned raging teen hormones down. “But since you’re at this party, you must go to the same college as everyone else. Can you at least let me know what you’re taking up?” He tilted his head and looked up at Bomin with a pleading look, “Please? Maybe we take the same classes, you know?”

 

Still a little hesitant, Bomin kept quiet for a while longer, but the guy didn’t look like he was gonna give up this time, so he sighed and tried to calm his erratically beating heart before speaking. “I-I’m a—“ he paused to clear his throat, mildly embarrassed by the stutter in his words, “I’m a first year Engineering student. And… and you?”

 

At his reply, an unreadable expression fell on the stranger’s face. His earlier smirk was replaced by the slightest part of his lips, as if he just realized something that might get him in trouble. He slowly drew back from Bomin, increasing the distance between them. Bomin frowned at him. Did he say something wrong?

 

“Freshman, right.” It was the other’s turn to clear his throat this time. A hand came up to rub his nape as he breathed in through his teeth. When he looked back up at Bomin, he had a sheepish look decorating his features. The boy was slightly taken aback. “Yeah uhm. Sorry, didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. Freshmen are kinda off my radar.” The guy twisted his hands together, still giving Bomin a somewhat apologetic look.

 

For a moment, they kinda just stared at each other, trying to somehow deal with how awkward everything just became now that the stranger wasn’t actively trying to make Bomin’s heart beat out of his chest. A gust of wind slipped past them, ruffling the other’s hair and making the guy run long slender fingers through the reddish-brown locks. Bomin inhaled and slowly turned his head to the side just to break eye contact and hopefully lift the tension sitting heavy around them.

 

It felt as though his heart silenced as quick as it came screaming. Bomin understood the situation—rather, he wished his interpretation was right. The guy approached him to flirt, obviously, but apparently Bomin was “out of his radar.” It’s not his fault he was born just a few years too late. He drew in a breath. Was a stranger seriously making him feel rejected right now? Bomin feels pathetic.

 

“’Min, there you are.” A familiar voice had Bomin snapping his head to the side, looking past the other to watch as Sungyoon jogged towards him. The smile on the elder’s face vanished as soon as he saw who Bomin was with. Sungyoon slowed down to a stop in front of them just as the stranger stood up and dusted himself off, giving Bomin one last awkward smile.

 

“It was nice meeting you, but I gotta go now. See you around.” He waved before leaving. Bomin didn’t miss the ugly look Sungyoon gave the guy, and the placid expression that he returned it with. All traces of displeasure disappeared from Sungyoon’s face the moment he was face to face with Bomin again though, so he decided not to comment about it. Sungyoon beamed at him as if he didn’t just shoot daggers at the stranger Bomin found himself oddly attracted to.

 

“Daeyeol-hyung found Sunggyu-hyung. He said to wait out here while he finishes stuff up with Dongwoo-hyung and then the party can start.” He explained. Bomin nodded and stood up as well, just in time to see Joochan and Daeyeol walking towards them. Joochan seemed to be talking with someone though, but Daeyeol walked in front and hid him from Bomin’s sight.

 

“Uhm, right.” Bomin reached up to scratch the side of his jaw. His hesitance didn’t bypass Sungyoon’s attention. This made the elder inch closer towards Bomin so he can meet his gaze and hold it steady. The surprise on Bomin’s face grew evident. Sungyoon was looking at him with dead intensity.

 

“’Min, don’t talk to people like that, okay? Stay away from them.” He warned, and Bomin could only nod, though still a bit hesitant. Sungyoon held his gaze for a moment longer before eventually pulling away and leaving Bomin confused and slightly uncomfortable. Sungyoon made that guy sound like he belongs behind bars with the way he spoke, but his words hardly registered into Bomin’s mind. He was still a little lost in those sharp brown hues. The sight of them would probably forever be ingrained in his mind.

 

Beside him, Joochan reached out to tug on Bomin’s sleeve. The sudden action caused Bomin to jump back a bit in surprise. Joochan merely grinned at him. “Bomin, you remember Donghyun, right?” Joochan gestured to a figure who moved to stand beside him, all curly hair and eyes fixed into crescents. Bomin gave the new arrival a brief shallow bow before showing him his own smile.

 

“Yeah, it’s been a while, hyung.” Bomin greeted, and just like that, their conversation carried on to catching up with each other and everything that revolves around the boys’ lives in college. As they talked, Bomin’s mind kept reeling back to the guy from earlier, with his dark brown hair and even darker eyes and observantly quick tongue. Bomin wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he wished he had the chance to extend his time with the other. His charisma and confidence caught Bomin a little off guard, and he knew that he shouldn’t be having feelings like this for a stranger, but he couldn’t help it. The guy had bright charms and Bomin found it extremely hard to look away. He silently wished his companions didn’t notice the far-away look on his face as he slips in comments every now and then, but Bomin can see Sungyoon looking at him through the corner of his eye, quite possibly judging him. Bomin just tried to not meet his hyung’s gaze and continued being horribly distracted by the image of a stranger’s smirk.

 

 

* * *

 

 

It didn’t take long for the party to go into full swing once everything was set up. Bomin’s little group made their way to the center when Woohyun and Sunggyu finished thanking everyone who came. Soon Bomin found himself being reminded of the reason why he disliked parties so much as he watches people around him being swallowed by lights of different hues, bodies bumping into each other as they swayed to the beat of the booming music that swept across the entire area. Bomin lost Joochan and the others soon enough and was left alone in the middle of intoxicated college students who were getting way into their dancing.  He felt suffocated, so the moment he saw the chance, he high tailed it out of the sea of people and sat down on the same deck chair from before, except alone this time.

 

No disturbingly attractive stranger came to flirt with him, so Bomin just stuck to trying to spot his hyungs in the crowd. His eyes scanned over the bodies crowded around each other, immediately regretting the decision when he saw Daeyeol and Sungyoon locked in each other’s arm with absolutely no space left between them. Bomin made gag motions before tearing his eyes away from the gross make out session happening right in front of him. Instead, he ended up gazing at the stage from earlier, the one right next to the pool. The DJ equipment was finally in use, giving the people something to get completely wasted dancing to.

 

When Bomin saw a familiar mass of dark brown hair manning the station, he had to remind himself to breathe because never in his life has he seen someone look _so good_ turning a disk and shouting profanities to the beat of his own music. 


	2. Fate is Cruel (and so is the way you make me feel)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bomin has great friends.

 

One learns something new every day. For Bomin, it’s the fact that when you’re faced with two situations of equal importance, it’s quite difficult to figure out which one to prioritize over the other.

 

“It’s okay, just let it out.” His words of comfort were met with more hurling and a pained grunt from his poor roommate as he empties out all the contents of his stomach. The bathroom reeks of alcohol and the aftermath of a hangover, but Bomin stays squatted in his position, rubbing a hand up and down Joochan’s back and trying hard not to mind the disgusting smell mingling in the air. The person in question was currently hunched over their toilet, throwing up everything that he ate at the party the night before since 5 minutes ago.

 

Bomin wasn’t new to having to ease Joochan out of a shitty hangover. He can handle his alcohol better than Bomin ever can, but there’ll always be instances where he just goes a little past his limits and end up having to rush to their bathroom at 6 am to projectile vomit his food into their toilet the day after. The situation he’s in right now is a perfect example of that.

 

Bomin reached over the sink counter to grab the glass of water he placed there earlier for Joochan to offer it to the male. After spitting out the last of his dinner, Joochan gratefully accepted the glass and downed it in one go before slumping against the sink.

 

“I shouldn’t have joined that stupid drinking bet.” Joochan clutched his stomach, the creases on his face still painfully prominent. Bomin kept an arm around Joochan’s back to the support him, just in case he felt dizzy or the need to pass out.

 

“Yeah, you were really at it. You should thank Donghyun-hyung for dragging you away before you could finish an entire case of beer.” Bomin gently patted Joochan’s back as the other pressed the heel of his palm against his temple. The mention of Donghyun’s name made Joochan groan out loud, followed by a barely audible, “God he’s gonna kill me, I’ll never hear the end of this.”

 

Bomin just gave his roommate a sympathetic smile, but soon his mind was travelling to the other situation that he had to deal with and the longer he stayed inside the bathroom not doing anything about it, the more it started to slowly eat away at him. So he pulled away from Joochan after making sure the boy was okay and gestured towards the open door and to his desk. “Right, anyway, I gotta uhm—“

 

“Bomin it’s 6 AM on a Saturday. This is not the time to be thinking about school.” Joochan immediately deadpanned, sounding absolutely unimpressed.

 

“I—this isn’t about school,” Bomin frowned. Joochan simply looked at him with the flattest expression he can manage, as if telling Bomin that he didn’t believe him for a single second. Bomin just shook his head, coupled with the subtlest eye roll.

 

“Seriously, I just gotta look something up. Are you okay now?”

 

Joochan just sighed and shrugged his shoulders, waving Bomin off with the slightest flick of his wrist. Bomin gave him a thumbs up and headed back to the room without a second thought.

 

Once he was sitting in front of his laptop, Bomin’s fingers went flying across the keys to look up their university’s student profiles. When he first got the idea to try and get the internet’s help to solve his other little  _(big)_ issue, Bomin was doubtful that he’d find any content, as what he wanted to find was usually some pretty confidential stuff, but he convinced himself that there was really no harm in trying. He clicked on the link to the university’s web page and started looking through the site to try and see if he can find what he needs. He opened several tabs before eventually landing on the page of students listed under their respective courses, sorted by year level. Bomin immediately went for the seniors’ section, but stopped when he realized that he didn’t know where to go from there.

 

He stared at the screen, barely registering the sound of Joochan’s footsteps behind him.

 

“Wow, who even uses the university page to stalk people?” Joochan leaned over Bomin’s shoulder to squint at the screen of his laptop. Bomin pursed his lips into a thin line and shot his roommate a dirty look. “Not everyone is a stalker like you, Joo.” At this, Joochan scoffed and Bomin turned back to his screen, hiding the amused smile that threatened to show.

 

“Right, whatever, let me rephrase that then.” Joochan dragged the chair from his own desk and moved to sit beside Bomin, lazily dropping himself onto the soft material of his swivel chair. “What’s gotten our local nerd interested in living, breathing creatures other than himself?” Joochan teased as he rested an elbow on Bomin’s desk. The other just rolled his eyes at Joochan’s choice of words.

 

“I’m just trying to find someone.” Bomin explained, scrolling down the subcategories of courses under the senior bracket. Their university had a pretty dense student population, so hunting down one certain person would definitely be a challenge and a half.

 

Beside him, Joochan raised his eyebrows. “Someone? From last night?” Bomin nodded, causing his roommate to look at him in disbelief. For a while, Joochan was silent, and when Bomin eyed him, he had his eyes and mouth wide open.

 

“Jesus, don’t look at me like I just told you that you and Donghyun-hyung don’t make a good couple.” At this, Joochan smacked Bomin’s shoulder, his lips now pulled down into a frown.

 

“Excuse you, we almost became prom kings in high school if it wasn’t for Yein’s little bitch ass.” Joochan seethed at the memory, but it was immediately replaced by a teasing grin. “But that’s beside the point. Did you actually get yourself something good while we weren’t watching?”

 

“Don’t say it like that.” Bomin scolded the other, but Joochan was scrambling in his seat and screaming in his face before he can say anything else. All traces of a hangover completely vanished from his being.

 

“Oh my God you didn’t deny it! Bomin!! Oh my God our local shy, quiet nerd actually managed to hook up with someone? At a  _party?_ Oh my God my world is  _shaking_ right now Bomin I can’t believe this—“ Joochan paused to gasp, leaning forward to tightly grip Bomin’s shoulders, “you’re searching for him. Oh my God, don’t tell me—“ Bomin drew back, eyebrows furrowed. “Joo I don’t think—“ “You’re searching for him. You don’t know his name. You didn’t ask for his name? You didn’t ask for his name! Oh God Bomin I never would’ve thought that you’re actually physically capable of having one night stands with guys you barely even know oh gosh what happened to your purity is this my fault oh my god it’s my fau—“

 

“Joochan! Jesus, calm down.” Bomin reached up to grip the hands that Joochan had on him, using it to shake the other hard enough to get him to shut up. “It’s nothing like that, okay? We just…” Bomin looked to the side and shrugged his shoulders before meeting Joochan’s gaze again, “we just talked then he left, and I got curious about his identity, you know? I didn’t ‘hook up’ with the guy.” Joochan’s mood seemed to fall at his words. His roommate leaned back against the back of his chair, arms crossed.

 

“Bo~ring.” He huffed. Bomin just shook his head and returned to looking through the list of students on his screen. “Whatever man. I have to just find out who he is.”

 

While he scrolled down to the bottom of the screen, Joochan stared at the slightest hint of determination in Bomin’s eyes. He sighed, pulled out his phone and started typing. Bomin reached for his own phone when the notification sound rang.

 

_Picasso sent a message to campus hoes aka resident jobless losers._

Bomin paused in his scrolling to send Joochan the look. The other just put a finger up and shushed him even though he hadn’t even said anything yet. Bomin sighed, mindlessly tapping their GC chat head.

 

 

**campus hoes aka resident jobless losers  
location: not sydney**

 

 **Picasso**  
‘kay guys we have an issue  
_read 6:14 AM_

“Oh no you don’t.” Bomin lunged for Joochan’s phone before he can type in anything else, but the other just pulled it out of his reach and swatted Bomin’s hand away. “I’m trying to help you man, calm down.” Joochan scolded, pushing Bomin to sit back down in his chair. The protest that was about to leave Bomin died on his lips when his phone lit up with another message.

**square toast**  
Jibeom made me do it  
_read 6:15 AM_

They both tore their eyes away from their phones to send each other curious glances.

 

 **Picasso**  
what  
_read 6:15 AM_

**square toast**  
he made me do it  
_read 6:15 AM_

**gay for square toast**  
excuse you I did no such crime  
_read 6:15 AM_

**square toast**  
bitch I woke up with a bottle of margarita on my nightstand and my pajamas hanging off the window wdym u did no such crime  
_read 6:16 AM_

**gay for square toast**  
ok 1) i told u to fold your clothes  
_read 6:16 AM_

**square toast**  
i still can’t believe you asked me to fold my clothes who the fuck does that i almost walked out of my own goddamn bedroom  
_read 6:17 AM_

**gay for square toast**  
2) the margarita makes it easier  
_read 6:17 AM_

**square toast**  
excuse me?  
_read 6:17 AM_

Bomin briefly looked up from his screen again to acknowledge the disgusted expression on Joochan’s face.

**Picasso**  
ok i do not wanna know about your private activities  
_read 6:18 AM_

**Picasso**  
we have a real actual problem here  
_read 6:18 AM_

**smol fairy boi (property of joochan go away)**  
whats wrong? Is this abt your hangover  
_read 6:19 AM_

**Picasso**  
oh hi bb what hangover  
_read 6:19 AM_

**banned from the kitchen**

He had a bitch of a hangover earlier, Donghyun-hyung  
s _ent 6:20 AM_

Through the corner of his eyes, Bomin can see Joochan glaring daggers at his direction. He merely smiled.

 

 **Picasso**  
im gonna murder u choi bomin  
_read 6:21 AM_

**smol fairy boi (property of joochan go away)**  
dont say I didnt warn you u piece of shit  
_read 6:21 AM_

**Picasso**  
babe : ( u hurt me : (   
_read 6:22 AM_

**smol fairy boi (property of joochan go away)**  
dont u babe me icb u let the hyungs rope u into a drinking bet  
_read 6:22 AM_

**Picasso**  
: (   
_read 6:22 AM_

**square toast**  
ooh drama  
_read 6:23 AM_

**Picasso**  
stfu   
_read 6:23 AM_

**banned from the kitchen**

lmao  
s _ent 6:23 AM_

“I’m trying to help you and you do this. I feel betrayed.” Joochan hissed at him. Bomin kept his smile and was about to give a snarky response when the notification sound went off again.

 

 **eats carrots for breakfast**  
kids its too early for this shit   
_read 6:24 AM_

 

**banned from the kitchen**

Oh, good morning Daeyeol-hyung  
s _ent 6:24 AM_

 

 **eats carrots for breakfast**  
morning bomin. did you get home safe? Nothing broken nothing bruised?   
_read 6:24 AM_

**banned from the kitchen**

Yeah, all good  
s _ent 6:25 AM_

 

 **eats carrots for breakfast**  
that’s good   
_read 6:25 AM_

**eats carrots for breakfast**  
what were you kids even arguing about   
_read 6:25 AM_

**Picasso**  
we have an issue hyung  
_read 6:26 AM_

**smol fairy boi (property of joochan go away)**  
im never letting you drink ever again  
_read 6:26 AM_

**Picasso**  
babe : (  
_read 6:26 AM_

 

 **Picasso**  
but it’s not about that   
_read 6:26 AM_

**Picasso**  
it’s about bomin  
_read 6:27 AM_

**eats carrots for breakfast**  
bomin?   
_read 6:27 AM_

**smol fairy boi (property of joochan go away)**  
bomin?  
_read 6:27 AM_

**square toast**  
bomin?  
_read 6:27 AM_

**gay for square toast**  
bomin?  
_read 6:27 AM_

**carrots**  
What about bomin  
_read 6:28 AM_

**eats carrots for breakfast**  
oh youre awake   
_read 6:28 AM_

**banned from the kitchen**

Good morning too Sungyoon-hyung  
s _ent 6:28 AM_

 

 **carrots**  
Morning  
_read 6:28 AM_

**carrots**  
Whats this about you sunshine  
_read 6:29 AM_

**Picasso**  
he’s in a dilemma hyung   
_read 6:29 AM_

**Picasso**  
a love dilemma   
_read 6:29 AM_

**carrots**  
a what?  
_read 6:30 AM_

“Wait, Joo.”

 

Joochan looked up from his phone to meet Bomin’s eyes. “What?”

 

“I don’t think we should tell Sungyoon-hyung.” Bomin slid his phone back over to the desk. Joochan just frowned and tilted his head. “Why not? He could help us. He and Daeyeol-hyung are seniors,” the other gestured towards the senior bracket shown on the screen of Bomin’s laptop. Bomin shook his head.

 

“Let’s just not.”

 

Joochan fell silent for a while before eventually lowering his phone. “Okay, then describe him to me.”

 

Bomin blinked. “What?”

“Describe him to me. I’ll ask Daeyeol-hyung about him instead.”

 

After understanding what Joochan wanted to do, Bomin nodded and relayed as much information as he can about the guy to his roommate (leaving out the more emotion-induced details). Joochan nodded along before dialing their hyung when Bomin finished.

 

Daeyeol picked up after a couple rings. Joochan put his phone on loudspeaker and placed it on Bomin’s desk.

 

“Hello? Joochan?”

 

“Hyung, hey. Sorry for calling all of a sudden. I just wanted to ask something.” Joochan leaned towards the speaker of his phone, chancing a glance at Bomin every now and then.

 

“Oh, sure. What is it? Is it about the thing you mentioned in the gc?”

 

“Uhm, not really. I was just curious if you know… someone.” Joochan looked at Bomin through the corner of his eye. He nodded and signed for him to continue. “Uhm, he’s a senior, too. Reddish hair, sharp brown eyes, big smile.”

 

“Sounds like a lot of people I know. You gotta be more specific.”   


“He was in the party last night—“

 

“And so was the entire university?”

 

Joochan rolled his eyes at the sarcasm in Daeyeol’s voice. Bomin just cracked another smile. “He was in charge of the music? Uh, the DJ?”

 

For a while, the other line was silent. Joochan had to check to see if the call was still going on before Daeyeol spoke again. “Oh, him. Yeah I know him, why?” There was a hint of irritation in the elder’s voice, and for a moment, Bomin wondered if Daeyeol knew why Sungyoon looked like he wanted to strangle the stranger from last night when he saw him.

 

“Can you tell me what you know about him?” Joochan gestured towards Bomin’s laptop. He nodded and hovered his fingers over the keys.

 

“Yeah, his name is Lee Jangjun,” Bomin suppressed the smile that threatened to play on his lips before quickly typing in the name that Daeyeol gave them, “majors in music production? I don’t really know. I only know his name, but I heard of him from Sungyoon before. They were uhm… acquainted during our freshmen year.”

 

The conversation between the two of them carried on, but Bomin’s attention was focused solely on the face that loaded on his screen. An ID sized image of the stranger from yesterday was displayed against a white background with the characters 이장준 right above it. He sat there staring at the crescents on the male’s eyes for the longest time before actually scrolling down to look at the brief information written below. He felt the exact same way he did last night— _infatuated_ beyond logical reason because  _goddamn_  was this guy ridiculously attractive. Bomin didn’t even know him personally (and literally just met him yesterday. He can already hear his mom scolding him for potentially having feelings for a stranger) but he found it extremely difficult to look away.

 

Bomin had to press a hand to his chest. Joochan, seemingly having had hung up, dragged his chair closer to the desk to take a good look at the guy’s—Jangjun’s—picture.

 

“Dang, Bomin. You got a great eye. That’s a fine one right there.” Joochan whistled, placing an arm around Bomin’s shoulder and shaking him a bit. Bomin’s eyes never left the screen as a smile pulled the corners of his lips upwards.

 

“Do you think I can make him interested in freshmen?”

 

 

* * *

 

 

“ _He didn’t._ ”

 

“Oh  _he did_.”

 

Bomin groaned, dropping his head onto his palms. Sooner or later, another hand landed on his shoulder, making him peak through the strands of hair that fell across his eyes.

 

“Bomin, this is some insane character development. I can’t believe you actually said that.” Jibeom muttered, a look of sheer disbelief planted on his features. Bomin wanted to punch him.

 

“I didn’t actually mean that and you know it Joo.” Bomin snapped his head towards the seat opposite him where  ~~one certain son of a bitch~~  his roommate was enjoying a nice cold cup of iced Americano. The bastard had a smirk lacing his lips.

 

“Whatever you say honey.” Joochan tipped his cup and took a dramatic sip from it. Everyone in their small corner table was looking at Bomin with a knowing glint in their eyes and it was all Joochan’s goddamn fault. Another groan slipped past Bomin’s lips as he dragged his hands down his face.

 

“I hate you guys.”

 

“Make a senior fall for a freshman. Dang, you’re bold.” Donghyun rested his chin on the heel of his palm as he grinned at Bomin. Joochan let out a sound of affirmation. “I know, right?”

 

“Dudes. We gotta help him. Bomin doesn’t know jack shit about romance or flirting or anything remotely related to love.” Jaehyun piped in after finishing an entire slice of cheesecake. Bomin frowned at the little pieces of cake still clinging onto the other’s lips and chin.

 

“That’s just rude.”

 

“It’s true though,” Jaehyun pointed his fork at Bomin, “considering how you’re you, you might accidentally ask the guy if he knows the quadratic formula and that’s not exactly the best conversation starter.”

 

Everyone in their table laughed, but Bomin’s frown just deepened.

 

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?”

 

“It means,” it was Joochan’s turn to point a finger at Bomin, wiggling it in emphasis as he talked, “that we’re here to help you get your single since birth ass a boyfriend, yey!”

 

As the others whooped and cheered, a shocked expression planted itself onto Bomin’s face, the earlier frown gone and replaced by eyes pulled wide open. “What? No!” He protested, sounding a bit more desperate than he’d like.

 

“That sounds suspiciously like a very tsundere way of saying you’re welcome.” Donghyun shot their youngest a sly look. Beside him, Jaehyun nodded. “Don’t worry, you’ll be in a relationship before Mr. Kim can fail any more of us.”

 

“Please don’t remind me of the paper I still have to pass to him.” Jibeom sighed into his frappe, holding the cup with a concerning amount of remorse on his face. On the other hand, Bomin still looked surprised and frightened at the same time. Rather than helping him with the situation he was currently facing, his friends would probably just end up ruining whatever slim chances he had with the older male with their stupid gimmicks and lame strategies—not that he was considering ever being together with him in the first place, but that’s beside the point

 

“Bomin, seriously, we’ll handle it okay? Leave it to us.” Joochan put his cup of coffee down and showed Bomin one of his signature smiles. Had Bomin not known better, he would’ve believed the sincerity behind that smile, but oh he knew better, and Hong Joochan definitely wasn’t the type to—

 

“Beom! Hey!”

 

Bomin felt his limbs freeze. He watched as Jibeom looked up at the sound of his name being called and suddenly, there was another figure in Bomin’s field of vision and his heart kick started into overdrive.

 

He’s pretty sure situations like this only happens in anime and dramas.

 

“Jangjun-hyung? I thought you had classes today?” Jibeom asked as the person in question walked around his seat to stand beside him, an arm draped across the back of Jibeom’s chair. Considering how Jibeom was sitting right beside Bomin, the action didn’t really do anything to ease the increasingly erratic beating in his ribs. The others looked at Jangjun as if he just announced that all the holidays this semester were cancelled.

 

“Finished early. The prof wasn’t really in the mood for a Saturday lecture anyway.” Jangjun let out a laugh, and Bomin could feel it resonate within every inch of his chest. He swallowed, barely managing to tear his eyes away from the man beside him to cast a glance at Joochan, who was looking at him with wide eyes and pursed lips. He tipped his chin towards Jangjun and Bomin nodded.

 

“Well anyway, I haven’t seen you and your little friends in a while.” Jangjun threw them all a smile as he pointed at them one by one. “Jaehyun,” he winked at him, earning a smack from Jibeom, “Donghyunie, fellow music major, and uhm,” Jangjun pointed at Joochan, making the other point his index finger towards himself in question, “Joochan, Donghyunie’s boyfriend, right?” The blonde nodded and gave the older male a hesitant wave, his eyes nervously darting back and forth between him and his friend. Jangjun seemed to have noticed the action, making him raise an eyebrow and turn around to face Bomin. Bomin felt his heart leap up into his throat when their eyes met.

 

The smile on Jangjun’s face faltered. Bomin felt like he’d been dragged back to last night when they spent what felt like hours just staring at each other sans any sort of words that may have threatened to spill from their lips because at that moment, Jangjun did nothing to break eye contact, the silence between them almost deafening.

 

“Jibeom, do something.” He vaguely heard Joochan whisper, but it all faded into white noise when the smile returned to Jangjun’s face and  _oh my god there’s that smile again I am_ so _not falling for this guy._

“Mister Life of the Party, we meet again.”

 

The smile on the male’s face stayed this time, but Bomin can see the disappointment, the almost sorry look in Jangjun’s eyes. “Sorry for leaving like that last night. Duty calls, you know?”  _Also the freshman thing._ Bomin bit the inside of his cheek, the unspoken words almost louder than what Jangjun actually said.

 

“Oh no, it’s okay.” Bomin showed the elder a small smile, while the one Jangjun wore grew wider.

 

“Small world, huh?” Jangjun gestured towards the others seated around their table, but never once did he take his eyes off of Bomin. He was starting to quickly realise that perhaps if a friendship between them will ever be formed, it’d be built solely on impromptu staring contests and their amazing inability to properly communicate with each other (or rather, Bomin’s evident lack of comprehensive social skills).

 

“Yeah,” was all he could say. Jangjun returned it with a huff of laughter, which, in turn, also pulled Bomin’s smile just a little wider.

 

His friends were starting to whisper to each other around them, but Bomin felt no obligation to give them his attention. It was kinda hard to do that when one certain man refused to be the first one to look away and Bomin didn’t have any strength whatsoever to be the one to initiate anything at this point. So he let himself smile just a little longer than what he was comfortable and let himself get lost, like some cheesy Korean drama character, in those invitingly warm deep brown hues.

 

Joochan audibly clearing his throat was what made them finally break eye contact. Bomin raised his eyebrows at him, but Joochan just pushed his chair back and clapped once as he stood up, chest puffed and pride overriding the usual snarky expression he wore on his face. “Well, guess we’re not really needed here then. Let’s go guys, gotta give them some space.” He grinned and sent Bomin a wink. Soon everyone was packing up and getting ready to leave and only then did Bomin realize what they were trying to do.

 

Almost frantically, he pushed himself up on his seat, moved past Jangjun and scrambled after his roommate, who was already halfway to the café’s entrance. He reached out and gripped the sleeve of the male’s sweater.

 

“Dude, what—I thought you said you were gonna help me?”

 

“Aww, so you really did want our help.” Joochan cooed. Bomin gave him the most disgusted face he can manage, which only made the former laugh. “Bomin, the very obvious chemistry between the two of you doesn’t particularly scream needing help to me. Seems like you can do this on your own, buddy. Good luck! Put those charms to good use.” Joochan gave his friend a grin and two thumbs up and just like that, they were out the door with Jaehyun murmuring a “Didn’t even get to do anything” as he crossed the threshold.

 

Bomin just stood there, angry and frustrated and exasperated all at the same time. His friends did  _not_ just ditch him. He grunted in annoyance and took a sharp turn to go back, get what remains of his drink and head straight after those idiots—he so wasn’t letting Joochan live this down—only to be stopped by Jangjun, who was standing right behind him. Bomin stepped back in surprise. Jangjun was slowly shaking his head as he looked at the entrance.

 

“Nice friends you got there,” he reached over to pat Bomin’s shoulder, making the younger inhale sharply at the contact, “I can see where Beomie gets the influence.” Jangjun snorted at his own words, but Bomin stayed silent beside him, too busy trying to not freak out at the lack of space between them to form a coherent sentence. Jangjun paid it no mind and instead leaned in to get into Bomin’s line of sight, the same way he did the night before, while still wearing a smile, albeit a smaller one this time.

 

“You can make it back on your own, yeah?”

 

Bomin looked back at the older male and almost nodded upon instinct when a thought put a stop to his actions. Joochan left to give him this opening. He gave him the opportunity to have a proper talk with Jangjun  _and it’s right there_ and Bomin wasn’t socially adapt and definitely very secluded but he knew that if he didn’t grab this chance now then he’ll definitely regret it for the rest of his college years. He swallowed and shoved whatever hesitance he had before away, took a deep breath, gathered whatever courage he had left, and shook his head at Jangjun’s question.

 

“Actually, can we… talk?”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the end of the actual fic! The next chapter is focused on Jangjun and shines a bit of light on his side of the story.


	3. Drinking Venom (is the same as drinking coffee)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jangjun gets to share his thoughts.

 

There aren’t a lot of things that can distract Jangjun once he’s entered the zone.

                                                                                                                                                                                         

Music has always been his passion. It was his first love, existing even prior to the questionable boner he sported after watching an episode of fucking Looney Tunes with one very questionable female bunny in it. The near intimate, for lack of better word, relationship he had with music stemmed from early on in his life, and it continued to raise Jangjun better than his own parents probably ever did (he’d apologize to them, but why say sorry for the truth). He grew up with a constant melody engraved in the back of his mind, always there to remind him of the path he set for himself the moment he gained the capability to make his own decisions.

 

To him, this was a pretty clear reason as to why he’s already grown accustomed to the familiar lull of music yet still gets lost in it so goddamn easily. He likes to think of this process as entering the zone, and nothing has ever succeeded in dragging him out of it once he’s had headphones covering his ears, cancelling out the bullshit that the world continuously spews right at his face.

 

Entering the zone meant he was in his element, and Jangjun sure loved being in his element. It gave him an axis, an orbit to follow, an unwavering focus that never snaps even when the usual mellow hum of living his life changes drastically to erratic beating.

 

For 21 years, nothing has ever managed to break this focus, that is, until one Friday almost months ago (Jangjun shouldn’t have let his guard down. Fridays are fucking cursed).

 

He didn’t mean for it to happen, of course not. It’s just that his best friend Fate has a pretty funny way of fucking him up the ass right where it feels absolutely fucking amazing. For example, it was Fate that made him friends with one Lee Howon, all because the guy was nice enough to lend Jangjun (previously stranger Jangjun, at that) some cash when he really needed it. Had Fate not been a jerk and maybe pulled him away from the guy before he got too attached, they wouldn’t have become good friends, and thus Howon wouldn’t have been nice enough to let Jangjun tag along with him to two rich seniors’ campus-exclusive party and even score him a spot as the party’s DJ (which was a huge honor. Jangjun almost cried).

 

Really, it was at that party that Fate seriously did him dirty. All he wanted was to check the DJ equipment generously provided by the hosts before the whole thing started and instead he found himself choking on the fact that there’s suddenly a _fucking adorable kid sitting on a deck chair just inches away from him sweet Jesus take the wheel._ Jangjun immediately blamed Fate for the raging fire that ignited throughout his entire being at the sight of something so _angelic_ , so _bewildering_. He was here for the music, goddammit. Why was he feeling like he just fell in love at first fucking sight for the second time in his life? Was that even possible? Were there any rules to this shit?

 

Now you can’t blame Jangjun for what he did next. He only acted upon his primal instincts as a(n aggressively homosexual) man, so his following actions were completely definitely within the laws of humane behaviour. He manned up, put on his best fuck boy face, and approached the guy with the confidence of a convict under interrogation.

 

Looking back to it now, Jangjun probably lost that conquest. Not only did he potentially lose some face to show to the guy in the future if Fate, the little bitch, ever decided they should meet again, he also found out that he was semi-mute (shy, it was endearing, really), refused to give Jangjun his name, and worst of all, the kid was seven football fields away from his “can hook up with” radius. Jangjun would’ve immediately hightailed it out of there the moment he found out if it wasn’t for the stubborn desire to know more about the guy still burning in his chest. It was a dang shame. He seemed like a good catch too.

 

At that moment, he had to admit defeat. It was nice while it lasted, and yeah he wouldn’t mind having more of it (he really _wouldn’t mind,_ in fact he lacks so much care that _yes he wants more of it goddammit)_ , but Jangjun had a job to do and some beats to drop. He did his best not to think about the encounter until the party started, and only then was he able to do what he did best when music was involved—get lost in it, get fucking wasted in it until the only things he can hear are the electronic sounds coming from the equipment and the steady beat of his heart while he worked his magic. It was the perfect distraction, and for a while he really didn’t think about that freshman with the cute face and shy demeanor. His mind was at peace and he was enjoying the moment. Truly a nice way to wrap up the night.

 

(If anyone asks, the accidental air gaps between the music definitely weren’t due to the fact that his distraction may have faltered a couple times because his eyes just won’t fucking stop darting towards the object of his problems.)

 

So Jangjun left it there. He’d figured he wouldn’t see the guy’s face again anyway, with how convenient their university’s campus layout is (the universe pitied him, go figure) so he deemed that problem out of sight, out of mind. He went home that night with his jacket pulled tight around his waist and a brownie shoved halfway down his throat, courtesy of Youngtaek, free of any thought concerning no one of remote interest—okay, that’s a lie, he had to slam his face against the wall to stop any such thought relating to doing suspicious activities with the image of the angel at the party widespread in his mind. That wasn’t about to fucking happen.

 

In the morning, he hadn’t much time to really think about the guy, as he was immediately scolded by his Mijoo-noona for bringing pot brownies into the house and smelling like cheap booze (that booze definitely wasn’t cheap. Jangjun vaguely remembers seeing a Cheval Blanc written somewhere there) the moment he opened his eyes. He barely even had time to recover from the post-waken-by-force wave that hit over his head. Next thing he knew there was rice being shovelled into his mouth and a very angry voice repeatedly saying that he was late for his Saturday lecture.

 

The last line definitely woke him up. He was out of the house before Mijoo can yell at him about still smelling like the (thoroughly expensive) booze from last night.

 

His Saturday lecture honestly passed by in a blur. Their professor didn’t even look the least bit enthusiastic about having to spend his precious weekend with students he already sees for most of the week, so they got off easy. Jangjun was already pretty sober by the time they flooded out of the lecture hall and his friends invited him to go chill at a café near the university. It sounded cliché as fuck but he agreed anyway, as it was unsurprisingly hard to say no to his friends and the prospect of free food.

 

That was when he made his second brilliant mistake of the day (the first was forgetting to set up an alarm last night. He was practically asking for the classic Mijoo ass-whooping).

 

He should have seen the signs, seriously. He saw the kid from last night hanging out with some of his younger friends at the party, so naturally at the time he came to the conclusion that it really was indeed a small world and simply went back to pinballing his attention from the turntable to the dessert standing just within his line of sight. He should’ve fucking thought about the previous statement more, about how this guy was friends with his friends and if he was in any way acquainted with his bro pals then naturally they hang out, possibly in cafés like this, and if they hang out that means that at the very moment Jangjun called out to Jibeom to say hi to them then he was, of course, being graced by the presence of none other than mister life of the party himself, except he didn’t, and that meant bad.

 

Jangjun hadn’t even noticed the guy at first. He was so silent and so bland that his presence pales in comparison to the loud displays of his friends around him. He was definitely the type to blend in with the crowd, maybe to save people from the dread of being unable to take their eyes off him once they single him out in a cluster of people, and this proved true to Jangjun. When he turned around and met the kid’s eyes (he forgot to mention, but he very much liked the fact that they both seemed to be experts at staring contests, albeit with a little more sexual tension), he couldn’t bring it in himself to look away or even take a break to say _fuck I found him again._

So stuff happened. They chatted a bit. Kid’s friends ditched him for unknown reasons ( _known_ reasons. Jangjun prefers not to think about the unelaborate planning behind it), and he somehow found the courage to invite Jangjun out for a talk.

 

It’s not like he expected much—okay yeah no he definitely did—so he wasn’t (totally was) too surprised when it turned out to be a hair’s breadth away from being mind-numbingly awkward when they went outside. The kid refused to say a word even though it was his idea, and in the end, Jangjun had to initiate the conversation. It took a lot of drilling to tear down the solid walls of insane tension surrounding them, but it came crashing down eventually (thank god) and things went smoothly from there. Too smooth. Alarmingly smooth.

 

Soon Jangjun found a friend (and crush, yes. It went against his morals but fuck if it was hard to distance himself) in the guy. After agreeing to never ever under any circumstance use his identity for the wrong side of justice, the kid eventually gave him a name, and it rang clear as day in his head. Maybe that was the time when he realized that he really did fall in love at first sight with this kid and that thought set off all the alarms in Jangjun’s head, except it was kind of hard minding them when Choi Bomin was giving him a gummy smile and saying “Hyung” with a barely contained laughter spilling from his lips.

 

That was also the day Jangjun discovered the glorious existence of a—wait for it—a brand new, world-class, state of the art hyung kink, and boy did it take him a while to recover from that.

 

“Paging Lee Jangjun. Paging Lee Jangjun. Will Lee Jangjun come back to reality at once, please?”

 

The almost audible growling under Sungjong’s words had Jangjun gently shoving the thought of hyung kinks, or any kind of kink, away into the back of his secret dirty stash. That’d be for later. Fluttering his eyelashes, he rested his chin square against the heel of his palm and gave his hyung the most sincere smile he can manage.

 

“Yes, hyung?” He almost cooed—almost, because Sungjong just gave him the most shitless glare ever to be glared and thus putting an abrupt stop to his cooing. Jangjun immediately dropped his hand, promptly coughing into the angry atmosphere draping over them like a nice warm blanket left under the midday summer sun. “Sorry.”

 

A sigh, and Sungjong’s already moved to slide both his hands down his face in sheer aggravation. Jangjun can’t blame him. Even he wouldn’t want to hold a conversation with himself either, even if it was a nice Saturday morning and Saturdays are inherently his favorite, and even if it concerned school and the upcoming fest.

 

“The sooner we get this done, the sooner you can go back to Bomin land.” Sungjong scoffed, fixing the music sheets in his hand with a very pissed and discontent face. It wasn’t a good look on him.

 

“Sorry to disappoint you hyung, but I haven’t had the chance to tread on Bomin land yet. I’m afraid it’s still too early for that.” Jangjun shook his head solemnly, even going as far as mock wiping a tear away with a hooked index finger. A dull pain coursed through the side of his leg soon enough, and Jangjun turned just in time to see Sungjong pulling his foot back to rest it against the hardwood floor. Jangjun mouthed an ‘aw’ as he rubbed the spot his hyung kicked.

 

“Gross. I never want to hear you say that about a freshman ever again.” Sungjong rolled his eyes when all Jangjun gave him was a smile, a lengthy, annoying little grin that never fails to press all the buttons.

 

Behind them, the rhythmic noise of sneakers thumping against the floor made Jangjun twist around to greet a sleepy-looking Howon with a smile. The guy had three cups of coffee balanced miraculously in his hands and earphones plugged into his ears. Jangjun can hear the music blasting through the earphones even when Howon was still a couple tables away from them. He felt sorry for the guy’s eardrums.

 

“Hyung, what did the committee say?” Sungjong asked the moment Howon got close. The older male placed the cups and his earphones down before giving his dongsaeng a thumbs-up. This seemed to brighten Sungjong’s mood by a mile, as it was the first time he smiled that morning. “Nice.”

 

“Didn’t take a lot to convince them. All I had to do was remind them of the debt they still owe the department.” Howon put on one of those tired (yet still undeniably sexy) smiles of his, tipping his cup up to hide it before Jangjun can appreciate how good even the smallest smile can make the man look. He wasn’t even trying.

 

Amidst his thoughts, a light bulb flickered to life.

 

“Poor suckers.” Sungjong mumbled under his breath, a full on smirk gracing his features as he went back to the music sheets. Jangjun turned around in his chair, straddling the backrest and resting his chin on top of the wooden material.

 

“Hoya-hyung.” Howon perked up at the nickname, moving the cup away from his lips to raise both eyebrows at Jangjun. “Are you going out with anyone at the moment?”

 

Jangjun immediately felt Sungjong hitting him with the sheets the moment the question left his lips, but Howon merely let out a quiet laugh.

 

“Why, interested?”

 

Jangjun can practically see Sungjong gaping at their hyung for even suggesting the idea. He probably found the mere image of his two friends dating absolutely gut-wrenching, and it was obvious with the way his face contorted into an expression of pure disgust. Jangjun just shook his head. “Nah, I already have my eye on someone. I kinda just want,” he paused, trying to find the right word, “advice.”

 

“Advice?” Howon let out another brief laugh, “Jangjun, I haven’t dated in months. You’re not getting any advice from me.”

 

“No but,” Jangjun immediately cut in, waving a hand in the air, “You dated quite a handful of people before, to put it professionally-“

 

Sungjong scoffed. “How do you even know what professional means?”

 

“-so you’re literally the only person in this room I can ask about complicated relationships as you are the only one with experience-“

 

“Hey!”

 

“-and really it’s not that complicated but you know.” Jangjun finished, shrugging his shoulders and shooting his hyung an expectant look. Howon seemed to consider his words, fingers playing with the styrofoam cup in his hand. A few seconds of silence in and Jangjun was already pouting (no one can resist his pouts, no one). Howon eventually sighed and put his coffee back down, leaning against the backrest of his chair.

 

“Yeah okay.” He smiled, and Jangjun whooped. Inching his chair closer to the one his hyung sat on, Jangjun quickly put on a serious face, pressing the tips of his fingers together to add to the vibe.

 

“You see, recently I have had a rude awakening, and this time it’s not because of Mijoo-noona,” off to the side, Sungjong snorted, “I have in fact been rudely awakened by one very appealing person who so happened to be in the same place, at the same time, as I was the night of Sunggyu-hyung and Woohyun-hyung’s party. Do you remember what happened that night, hyung?”

 

Howon rolled his eyes, nodding to urge Jangjun to continue.

 

“Right, so you know, I handled the situation by myself. Really, I have, and really, I was already past the point of giving in anyway, but I just wanted to let you know that the person in question is, in fact,” Jangjun paused and inhaled a sharp breath for added dramatic tension, “a freshman, and you know how I am with freshmen.”

 

Howon’s lips formed a small ‘o’. “Is this the Bomin kid Sungjong mentioned? Aren’t you two already together or something?”

 

Jangjun immediately shook his head, Sungjong accompanying it with a “he wishes.” “No, not really. I guess it’s more or less mutual pining except with just a tad bit more complications, you know?” Howon nodded in understanding, putting his palm up as if in question right after. “So, what’s the problem then?”

 

A sigh. Jangjun slumped his arms over the backrest and pouted again. “Hyung, I told you, I have a thing with freshmen.”

 

“Jangjun, that was ages ago. Just get over it, man. The thing going on between you and the kid ain’t going anywhere if you keep yourself chained to… whatever happened before.” Howon said matter-of-factly. Off to the side, Sungjong flipped to the last page of the sheets, nodding and shooting Jangjun a look.

 

Another sigh. Jangjun pulled himself up, using the chair as an anchor so he can lean back and stare at the tall ceiling. “It’s not that easy to forget, hyung. Moving on is hard.”

 

Howon almost snorted. He grabbed his cup of coffee without taking his eyes off his dongsaeng. “ _He_ moved on pretty quick, though.” Howon took a sip, and Jangjun suddenly found himself staring, a cold flame alighting in the pit of his stomach the moment Howon’s words reached his brain. He hadn’t even touched his own drink yet, but he can already taste a lingering bittersweet flavor on his tongue. As nice as Howon was, he could really be a bit of a bitch sometimes—as in he has no qualms in speaking his mind and making Jangjun realize that earth is a piece of shit and his life is a huge, _huge_ pain in the ass.

 

“Yep, this looks good.” Sungjong smiled to himself and arranged the music sheets, not even bothering to pay any attention to Jangjun after Howon just bulldozed his minds with a mere few words. Carefully clipping an edge, he moved to take Jangjun’s bag and shove the pile of papers inside without so much as a word to the owner. Once the sheets were inside, Sungjong handed it to the younger, who was now staring at the cup that was supposed to be for him. “Text me when the thing’s done. I’ll give you my hard drive.” Sungjong patted the other’s shoulder before taking his own coffee. For a brief moment, Jangjun contemplated just leaving his cup there and doing a gracious walk out, but ultimately decided against it. Coffee is expensive. Jangjun’s broke ass knows that all too well.

 

So he stood, hitched the strap higher up his shoulder and swiped his coffee off the table. He downed all the contents the same way he would to alcohol within seconds, placing the cup back down and sighing at the pleasant burn of liquid going down his throat. “My work here is done then. See you guys later.” Jangjun did a V with his fingers and just like that, he was out the door before Sungjong can yell at him to throw his trash. He didn’t miss the way Howon looked at him past the rim of the paper cup in his hands.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The halls were mostly empty save for a few students loitering about. The sun was still high in the sky when Jangjun found his way out of the building, bearing down on earth and mocking the pitiful creatures who’s had enough of its cruel heat. Jangjun flipped the big ball of hot gas off before continuing on his way down the path to the other end of the campus.

 

What Howon said earlier gave Jangjun a major case of heartburn, the same kind of sensation he had to deal with every day when he was still in his first year of university. He barely supressed the urge to start hitting his chest with how much it burned, turning everything inside his ribs into ash—blatant proof that Howon was right. He really was still stuck, sailing on stagnant waters and smoking the same cigarette for four goddamn years. Jangjun told himself he’d moved on, but apparently his heart never even tried, still holding onto that one thread that snapped even before he had the chance to cling onto it.

 

His mood dropped before his heart can reach the ground.

 

“Bullshit.” He cursed under an exhale. Did he really just go poetic over a heartbreak? And after he just met with his hyungs? There’s no way he’s gonna bring himself back to that. He moved on, he did. There’s a part of him that was desperate to crawl back into that suffocating darkness and he knows it, yes, but he’s not the same as before. He’s not as weak as before, and no matter what realization hits him, the foundation holding him steady won’t break. Jangjun made sure it won’t years ago.

 

He breathed in the morning air. With a steady pace, he was already nearing the Engineering department. Jangjun expected his mind to supply an image of the angel he was currently very smitten with, but instead, it gave him the vision of side-swept dark hair, white, pearly bunny teeth, a smile reaching crescent-shaped eyes and the obscene mix of alcohol dripping down his chin and skin gliding against skin. At this, he squinted at the pristine white building. Without a second to waste, he urged his feet to go faster so he can leave the intrusive thoughts of that person behind.

 

He was halfway through the path that snaked around the building when the devil’s voice flitted through the air, creating an almost instantaneous reaction. Jangjun’s veins pulsed and he stopped dead in his tracks. A wave of hot air rolled over him when the sound of his name being called reached him once again. Seriously?

 

Oh this day is going fucking _perfectly._

Jangjun forced every muscle in his body to move, to wake up and face the person that was slowly jogging towards him. He pulled his eyes from the rocks on the pavement to the familiar figure nearing him. When their eyes met, Jangjun felt invisible fingers closing in on his throat. Flashes of the image that he saw mere seconds ago came rolling back. He can practically see the sweat rolling down milky skin in the back of his mind and hear the barely held back moans laying thick in the humid air.

 

“Jangjun, glad our paths finally crossed.” Sungyoon said with so much sarcasm it was practically dripping from every syllable that left his mouth. Jangjun all but gave him a blank stare. His brain was in overdrive. That image was still _there. What_ the fuck was he supposed to do—

 

“Actually,” Sungyoon spat after being silent for a few seconds, already tired of waiting for a response from Jangjun, “let me skip the pleasantries. I’ve been looking everywhere for you to give you a good briefing about… whatever it is that’s going on between you and Bomin.”

 

Oh. “Is this really the right place for a lecture?” Jangjun choked out, letting a weak laugh slip past his lips. Sungyoon didn’t even flinch. _He never did, even when Jangjun’s hands first landed on his bare skin._

 

“I love Bomin, okay,” He started, looking almost grim, “he’s a good kid. Jibeom treasures him as a friend. He’s dedicated to his studies and wouldn’t have attended that party had it not been for us,” Sungyoon paused then to cross his arms over his chest, “granted, him meeting you was never supposed to happen.” He frowned. Jangjun just continued staring at him, scared to take any more steps on loose footing.

 

“I warned him about you, I really did, but his life is his and his choices aren’t something I can control.” Sungyoon sighed, reaching up to press fingers against his temple. “It’s a pain in the ass, really, but there’s nothing I can do,” he paused again, this time to drop his arms back down, “except give you a warning. Bomin is young and has no clue just what he’s getting himself into, but you do. You know more than him about this, so please, for the kid’s sake, don’t make the same mistakes you did before. Don’t ruin him,” _the way you did to me._ Jangjun almost winced at the unspoken words, but all he could do was remain still and let Sungyoon stare him down. “I know I don’t have to do anything drastic for you to understand what I’m trying to say.”

 

Jangjun inclined his head in a curt nod, the only action he’s done so far throughout their (presumably short) conversation. Sungyoon’s expression remained guarded, but even when his face showed no signs of yielding, all Jangjun can see is the _weakness_ in Sungyoon’s eyes as he laid there, open and begging for more. Jangjun bit down on the inside of his cheeks, hard, to try and stop the memories flooding his mind, even for just a brief moment.

 

“Just don’t mistreat him.” Sungyoon finalized, staring Jangjun straight in the eyes and he felt it. The intensity of Sungyoon’s hatred for him, his dedication to making sure that his friend, junior, won’t ever have to go through the struggle that he did under Jangjun’s hands. He felt it seeping into his bones and his resolve just felt even weaker than before.

 

Sungyoon always had this effect on him. He hated it, but he couldn’t fight it in himself to fight back.

 

After what felt like ages of pure tension, Sungyoon turned back to the sound of his own name being called. Jangjun briefly spotted a tall figure in the distance before his attention was once again grabbed by Sungyoon giving him one last warning look. The other’s eyes were narrowed. All Jangjun could do was stand there under the scrutiny of his gaze.

 

“It’s hard to fix broken things, Jangjun.”

 

Just like that, Sungyoon was gone as fast as he came, taking all the images that flashed through Jangjun’s mind with him. Even so, he can still see it, see the darkness that the both of them created, lingering in the space between them that grew and grew as Sungyoon walked farther and farther away from him. Jangjun could only watch as the shadows vanished too, swallowed by the light emitting from the man that Sungyoon was now smiling at. He frowned. He never knew Sungyoon was capable of smiling (genuinely) like that.

 

Once they were gone, completely out of sight, Jangjun stared down at his feet, which were still frozen. He wiggled his toes and lifted both feet. When he could feel the motion settle, he made to walk down the path again, albeit a little slower this time.

 

Howon was right. He really was still stuck, sailing on stagnant waters and smoking the same cigarette for four goddamn years.

 

To be honest, Jangjun’s moral compass has always been faulty. Always been, always will. Even before college, he already found himself teetering between fixing his mistakes and completely wrecking what’s left of his life. University was just the point that was supposed to help him decide the better option between those two, and he was, he really was. He was on the path to changing his life for the better.

 

Choi Sungyoon begged to differ.

 

Jangjun first laid eyes on him during their first year opening ceremony. The guy was gorgeous, standing out in an entire crowd of students, with his smile and laugh and overwhelming charisma—fuck all, Jangjun’s need for him was _bad_ right from the beginning. Choi Sungyoon was a catalyst and he knew it. He knew it when he said hi to Jangjun first, when he replied to his messages, when he accepted the invitation to spend a night over at Jangjun’s place. He knew he had Jangjun wrapped around his little finger. Except, both of them were naïve. They thought what was blossoming between them was love, thought it was something beautiful, _pure._

At the time, Jangjun thoroughly believed it was. It was love when he feverishly breathed down Sungyoon’s throat, when Sungyoon allowed him to explore every nook and cranny of his temple, when Sungyoon slapped a hand over his mouth to stop the lascivious sounds that threatened to spill from his bite-ridden lips. It was love then, and they both believed that.

 

Sungyoon was Jangjun’s poison, and he breathed in that toxic air like it was perfume. He wanted it, he craved more, so much more. His greed was what caused their pillars to collapse. In the end, they both spiralled into inky black waters without even knowing. Only then did they realize that all that time, they were suffocating each other under the belief that it was the only way to help each other breathe.

 

They were freshmen at the time, and youth got the best of them.

 

Jangjun can feel the cogs in his brain slow down. A breath he didn’t even know he was holding escaped through his lips and then, exhaustion. Jangjun’s shoulder slumped. It’s funny, just how fast the pace of his morning changed.

 

He couldn’t find it in himself to think back to what happened, or the mini playback episode that his mind just supplied. Jangjun’s backstory was truly tragic, but he laughs at it still.

 

He probably deserves all the bullshit that came into his life, anyway.

 

His feet never stopped moving. When Jangjun came to his senses, he was already nearing the front gates of the university. A few students walked about, minding their own business. Jangjun observed them for a while, looking at their blank faces and the sluggish accent to their movements. He briefly wondered if they, too, bore painful memories like him, and for a second Jangjun was overcome with a strong sense of sympathy. He made a face, gagging.

 

Sympathy is gross.

 

A hand came up to violently knock on the side of Jangjun’s head repeatedly. He winced at his own actions, but kept doing it nevertheless. He didn’t want to think about whatever it was that happened between him and Sungyoon in the past anymore. It was true that he hasn’t moved on yet, but at this point, Jangjun was desperate to get out of this situation. Sungyoon managed to push past everything that went down and found himself a new anchor barely a year after their break up, and he wanted to do that too. Always have, but he never found the will to find anyone new within those four years.

 

Now he has a chance. It’s fucking scary and goes against what Jangjun told himself he’d never do ever again, but Fate definitely has a funny way of doing things. Jangjun found someone who reflected all his fears. He looks at him and all the man can see are scars and stitches but even then, the feeling he gets whenever that someone is around is almost healing, refreshing. It was as if his best buddy Fate was telling him that if he wanted out, he needed to do it the hard way, or it’ll never feel like an actual victory.

 

Oh what is up with him and being poetic today?

 

Shrugging off his thoughts, Jangjun adjusted the straps of his bag and marched on towards the brass gates. He faintly registered everything that just went on and almost laughed because his morning just went through the ten phases of a telenovela, and it wasn’t even 9 AM yet. Jangjun was glad he got to drink that coffee earlier at least. Drama wasn’t really his forte.

 

Once outside the gates, Jangjun breathed in the smell of the city—the closest he can get to fresh air—and ran a hand through his hair. The strands fell back down as Jangjun observed the quiet street. For a moment, he contemplated heading back home and falling face first onto the soft comfort of his duvet, but the image of a grumpy Mijoo put a stop to that thought. He frowned. Why must women be so complicated?

 

While thanking whatever mighty power gave him the idea of accepting the truth that he’s gay, Jangjun’s phone vibrated in the pocket of his jeans. He fished the device out, smiling on instinct when a familiar name popped up. In less than a second, Jangjun was already walking back to the university’s residential areas, eyes glued onto the screen of his phone.

_**Angel <3 ** _  
_hyung! I just finished my paper. Joochan said he’ll go hang out with Donghyun-hyung today.  
_ _read 8:53 AM_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! Hope you enjoyed the fic! This is my first work on ao3 and I'm still feeling a little anxious about it, so it'd help a lot if you could maybe drop a comment and tell me what you think? If you see any mistakes, don't be afraid to point it out too! 
> 
> Now let me explain Jangjun's situation a bit;
> 
> In 1st year, Jangjun and Sungyoon were together, but their relationship was extremely toxic. They broke up eventually, but Jangjun sort of developed this fear of dating freshmen because he believed that freshmen had no idea what they were doing and needed some time to mature before they do shit like relationships (just like him before). This is why I tried not to write BoJun too romantically here? Because even though Jangjun was already slowly getting over that fear, they're still in a very sensitive state so yeah uwu
> 
> Twt @jangtrashed


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